aHunter4Rescue (aHunter4Hire) (21 page)

“There
will be seven of us.”

“Take
the boat across the lake. We keep an emergency vehicle there. It holds seven.”

Ardal
looked at the map. They were further south than they had been when they’d taken
the bus. They were still hours away from anonymity.

He
had already heard from his other men. They’d all reached their destination
without incident. It was only his group that had garnered any interest. He
didn’t like being the decoy because Fiona was with them, but he was relieved
that his men were safe.

“Fiona
says that we need to use money so the authorities cannot trace us.”

“Absolutely.”
Lorcan pulled a picture off the wall and exposed a metal box. He twisted the
numbered circle and opened the door. He pulled out a stack of bills. “This
should keep you safe for a while.”

“Thank
you.” Ardal grasped Lorcan’s shoulder. “The second rule of the code is a Hunter
always helps his brother.”

“That’s
why we’ve survived.” Lorcan smiled. “Finally, we’ll have others of the
brotherhood with us.”

“Hunters
true and right.
We are honored you are with us.” Ardal
nodded toward the men who would be accompanying them then looked back to
Lorcan. “Tell the rest of the brotherhood on this planet that their implants
must be removed. Even if they are deactivated, they can still be used for
tracking. Warn them of the Holman dangers.”

“I’ll
do it immediately. We cannot afford to lose any more brothers.”

“By
Cygnus and Warrior we will meet again.”

***

Fiona
yawned and sat up. Ardal grunted as she pushed away from him. Stretching her
arms above her head she smiled back at him. The man made her happy. There was
no getting around that fact. As frightened as she’d been in the past, Ardal and
his men made her feel safe.

She
wasn’t kidding herself, though. She didn’t approve of the killing. She doubted
that she would ever be able to accept it. She wasn’t fool enough to think love
could change a person. Ardal had been a Hunter too long to know anything else.
There was also the problem of him being from another planet.

“Where
are we now?”

“We’re
just entering the city.” Catal spoke from the front. He turned, but his eyes
shied away from looking at her directly. “Soon we will begin to separate.
Firbin and I are to go with you.”

“We
aren’t staying together?” Fiona looked up at Ardal.

“It
is safer.” Ardal’s voice was low. “They are looking for us. Lorcan has advised
us that the police have sent out our descriptions.”

“They
can’t know that for sure. You killed them all.”

“They
are claiming a terrorist cell attacked a military base. They want us in
connection with the incident. It is dangerous for us to be together.” Ardal put
his hand on her shoulder. “I need to make sure that my men are situated and
then I will come for you.”

“No.”
Fear shook her insides. “I can’t go back there. David will find me.”

“Firbin
and Catal will keep you safe.”

“But
I won’t feel safe.” Fiona’s voice was a low whisper.

Ardal
leaned close. “I am only a thought away. I will be in constant connection.”

“It
isn’t the same.” A stab of pain pierced her heart. What was wrong with her? One
minute she was questioning whether she could accept his way of life and the
next she couldn’t live without him. Tears started to fill her eyes, but she
brushed them away with an impatient fingers.

Ardal
captured her hand and rubbed it against his cheek. “There is no need for fear.
My men are the best.”

“Promises
are not always possible to keep.” Fiona’s chest tightened as she considered how
much her life had changed in the past couple of days. Now the mere thought of
letting Ardal out of her sight sent her into a panic. What if he didn’t return?

Ardal
gathered her close in his arms. His lips moved over her ears sending shivers of
delight through her. “I will always be with you.”

“Reading
my mind again?”

“Even
in death I will be at your side forever.”

“Somehow
that doesn’t comfort me.” Fiona pushed away from Ardal and wiped her eyes.
“Okay, I’ll go with Firbin and Catal.”

Ardal
held her gaze for several seconds before nodding his agreement. She had spent
her whole life without a man. Surely a few days or weeks without Ardal wouldn’t
be that hard to take. She shivered as she thought about how near to David she
would be. Perhaps she should contact the Woman’s Underground Network and start
another life.

A
life on the run.

A
life without Ardal.

He
hugged her closer. She knew that he’d sensed or heard her thoughts and even
though the pain of living without him was almost unbearable, she knew he’d let
her go. Whatever her decision, it was hers to make.

Ardal
would honor her choice.

“My
men need me. We are strangers here and my duty is to ensure their safety. I
will be with you as soon as possible.”

She
glanced up at him and smiled. Of course he needed to be with his men. He was
the leader and he would never forsake them. A lesser man might think only of
himself, but not Ardal.

That’s
why she loved him.

Ardal’s
muscles jerked tighter around her. He had heard and understood. With a sigh she
pushed away and straightened her shoulders. She was strong. She had lived her
life on her own before and that is what she intended to do now. Besides, she
still had two strong Hunters who would protect her.

“So
who gets dropped off first?”

“Catal
has chosen a small hotel outside the northern end of the city. You will be the
first to leave.” Ardal cleared his throat. “We need the vehicle.”

Fiona
shrugged. “We can rent one, or there is public transit if necessary.”

“Public
transit?”
Firbin raised an eyebrow. “Is that
safe?”

“Not
for you guys, but I can get away with it.” Fiona rolled her eyes. “Women can
change their looks easy with a hat, or a bottle of hair dye.”

“No.”
Ardal’s voice was commanding. “Your hair is not to be touched.”

“It
will grow out.” Fiona pulled a clump of it forward. “It’s too distinctive a
color.”

“It
is something unseen on Cygnus.” Ardal shook his head. “You will not change it.”

Fiona
looked at him for a few seconds. There was determination in his eyes and
something else. A hopelessness, almost despair. Suddenly she knew it wasn’t the
color of her hair that mattered, but the fact she’d resort to lies to protect
herself. He saw that as a failure to protect her.

“If
you wish.
There’s no point in arguing over it.”
There was an audible gasp from the other Hunters. “Do men and women not
disagree on your planet?

“No.”
Ardal’s voice was firm. “A woman decides and a man does not challenge.”

Nice
to know.
Fiona glanced at the other men and
smiled. “On earth, men and women can discuss things together. They compromise
so that both will be happy. You guys better get used to it if you want to blend
in.”

“What
if we cannot change?”

“Then
you’ll look like wimps.” Fiona pursed her lips. “Then again, that might not be
a bad idea. No one would mistake you as anything but normal human men.”

“That
is true.” Catal’s voice was dry. “This is a planet of weak males. Women have
made it impossible for men to be who they truly are. Their history tells the
tales of great warriors, but no more. Women have softened them too much.”

“It
is not soft to abhor violence. Women give life. They want to ensure their
children grow up to live in peace.” Fiona crossed her arms. “What about the
women who are still terrorized by men who show their power with their fist.

Silence
followed her words. Firbin clenched his hands beside her and she could see
Jehon’s frown in the rear view mirror. The other men were avoiding her eyes.

“What
did I say wrong now?”

“On
Cygnus it is women who decide the wars, and men who fight them.” Ardal’s voice was
gentle. “As warriors we abhor the violence, but there is no choice. We keep our
planet safe.”

“Women
do not have children on Cygnus.” Firbin spoke now. He looked at Fiona with
hooded eyes. “That has not happened for eons; almost as far back as when the
Sacred Codes were written.”

“Never?”

Firbin
shook his head. “That would be risking a genetic mistake.”

“Such
as red hair?”
Fiona shook her hair about her face.

She
smiled at the shocked expressions on the men’s faces. Had they never considered
that some mistakes were good? It wasn’t her place to criticize. These men came
from a different culture. Just like earth, there were different cultures and
attitudes that sometimes seemed unusual. As long as they didn’t hurt women, she
could live with it.

“Boy
you guys are in for some surprises,” Fiona nodded to a hotel sign where they
had just pulled into. “This looks like it might do for a short-term stop.”

Ardal
nodded and Jehon started to slow the van down. They were parked at the hotel
office within a couple of minutes. Catal jumped out and Firbin followed. When
it was Fiona’s turn she looked up at Ardal. She longed to kiss him goodbye, but
didn’t want to make it difficult for him in front of his men.

His
eyes turned molten and before she knew what he meant to
do,
his hand had clasped the back of her head. He pulled her close and captured her
lips. It was searing, almost soul destroying in its intensity. He gave all of
himself to her and she gave herself back. If something went wrong she would
have this to remember.

“Go.”
His voice was hoarse as he released her.

She
nodded and climbed from the van. She kept her back to him and waited until she
heard the tires screech away before she dared to look at the retreating van. He
was gone and so was her heart.

She
rubbed her arms against the cool chill of the late summer night. “We’d better
get ourselves a room.”

“Two
rooms.”
Firbin cleared his throat. “We will take turns
standing guard outside your room.”

“That’s
nuts.” Fiona started for the office door. “I can sleep on one bed and if you
insist on staying awake to keep guard, then you’ll only need one bed for the
two of you.”

“It
is forbidden for a Hunter to stay with a woman.”

“We
slept together in the cave. How is this different?”

“This
is proper room.”

“Sleeping
is sleeping.” Honestly these guys loved to argue over semantics. “Besides, you
can’t stand outside, you’ll be too noticeable and they have cameras in the
hallways.”

“Ardal
will be upset.”

“He’ll
understand.” Fiona opened the office door. “There’s nothing to argue about.
Let’s get a room and then we can eat.”

“This
will not be like the other restaurant?” Firbin gave her a crooked smile.

Fiona
shook her head. “You guys have quite the understated sense of humor.”

Their
room was on the third floor. The elevator was slow, and the halls stunk of
stale alcohol. It was definitely not a five star hotel, but the possibility of
anyone noticing or caring about their sleeping arrangements was slim. Fiona
doubted anything would be considered shocking in this place.

She
walked to the bathroom and flipped the light on. Small, but it had all the
necessary items. There was even a toiletry package. A bath would have been
nice, but not here. A shower would have to do.

“We
should probably get some clean clothes tomorrow.” Fiona leaned against the door
and looked at the two men. They were standing at attention as if waiting her
orders. “You can relax. Firbin, you know that.”

He
laughed and sat down in one of the chairs by the window. “I am still unsure of
how to behave around you now that you are pair bonded to our leader.”

Fiona
shrugged. “Why should that make a difference?”

“Everything
about this planet is new. “ Firbin gestured to Catal. “Perhaps you could give
me a quick lesson on how to behave.”

“We
don’t try to fit in.” Catal looked down at the floor. “Our experience of the
people on earth hasn’t been very warming.”

“You
have survived.” Firbin’s voice showed his interest. “You must understand the
ways of the planet.”

Catal
looked up, his eyes hooded. “I’m afraid I’m just realizing how little I really
know about humans. I thought I knew it all, but now I’m not so sure.”

“What
made you change your mind?” Fiona sat on the bed.

“You.”
Catal tilted his head. “I didn’t think humans were capable of deep emotion. I
believed that we were different and there was no mixing of the two.”